Anesthesia

Anesthesia

The loss of sensation

General Anesthesia
A state of unconsciousness in which there is loss
of reversible sensation throughout the body.

Local Anesthesia
Localized loss of sensation without
unconsciousness.

Frequently used pre-anesthetics

Category

Examples

Advantages

Anticholinergics

Atropine
Glycopyrrolate

Salivary suppression, prevention of

vagally-mediated cardiac slowing

Alpha-2
adrenoreceptor
agonists

Xylazine
Detomidine

Analgesia, sedation

Tranquilizers

Acepromazine
Chlorpromazine
Droperidol
Haloperidol

Opioids

Benzodiazepines

Morphine
Fentanyl
Pethidine
Diazepam
Midazolam

Mental calmness, restraint

Analgesia, sedation
Analgesia, sedation

General anesthetics
1. Inhalant general anesthtics
(a) Volatile inhalant general anesthetics
Choloroform
Non-inflammable liquid with pleasant odour
Forms phosgene (irritant to lungs) gas on heating or
exposure to light
Used only in emergency situations
Toxicity
Cardiac dilatation with reduced force of contraction
Necrosis of liver
Anuria, albuminuria

 Di-ethyl ether/Ether
Colourless volatile liquid with pungent odour
Its vapours are highly flammable
Forms peroxides & aldehydes (irritants to respiratory mucosa)
on exposure to air
Stored in sealed containers internally coated with copper to
avoid its oxidation
Rarely used in developed countries
Adverse effects: post-operative nausea & vomiting

Halogenated general anesthetics

Halothane, Isoflurane, Enflurane
Most popular inhalant anesthetics
Volatile liquids, non-inflammable

 Decomposition on exposure to light, react with rubber

Adverse effects: malignant hyperthermia, cardio-pulmonary
depression

(b) Non-volatile inhalant general anesthetics

Nitrous oxide (Laughing gas)

Colourless, non-inflammable, sweet tasting gas

Marketed as a colourless liquid under pressure
Convulsant anesthetic not a CNS depressant
Used as an adjunct to potent inhalant anesthetics
Used alone for minor surgical & dental procedures
Adverse effects: Euphoria, teratogenicity, post-operative
nausea & vomiting, megaloblastic hematopoisis
Contraindications: pregnancy, immunosuppression, anaemia

Components of the Anesthetic

Machine

Injectable general anesthetics

Administered through I/V, I/M or I/P route
Neither require anesthesia apparatus, nor pollute atmosphere

1. Barbiturates
Hygroscopic & decompose on exposure to light, heat or air
Enhance GABA-mediated inhibition of synaptic transmission
Classification
a. Ultra-short acting barbiturates (thiopentone)
Duration of action is less than 0.5 hours
Used as general anesthetics
b. Short acting barbiturates (pentobarbitone)
Duration of action = 0.5-3 hours
Used as hypnotic, pre-anesthetic

c. Intermediate acting barbiturates (amobarbitone)

Duration of action = 3-6 hours
Used as hypnotic, pre-anesthetic
d. Long acting barbiturates (phenobarbitone)
Duration of action is greater than 6 hours
Used as anticonvulsants

All barbiturates have a narrow margin of safety

Can cause cardio-pulmonary depression
Have been largely replaced by benzodiazepines
Treatment of barbiturate toxicity:
CNS stimulants
Urinary alkalinizers
Cardio-pulmonary support

2. Benzodiazepines
Midazolam, diazepam & lorazepam are used as
anesthetics
Used successfully in humans as well as in animals
Used as hypnotics, sedatives, anesthetics and
anticonvulsants
3. Propofol
Newly introduced I/V general anesthetic
Available in the form of oil-based emulsion
Exact mode of action is still unknown
Primarily used in small animals
Cardio-pulmonary depression on overdosage

4. Chloral hydrate
Oldest I/V anesthetic, metabolised to trichloroethanol
Causes hyporeflexia resulting from depression of
cerebral cortex
Only used in large animals (equine & cattle)
No longer used in developed countries due to safety
concerns
5. Miscellaneous agents
Xylazine + ketamine
Xylazine + Diazepam
Xylazine + Acepromazine

Monitoring the Anesthetized

Patient
Any anesthetized animal must be watched very closely!
Vital signs, including:

Color of mucous membranes

Capillary refill time (CRT)
Heart rate
Pulse
Respiratory rate and depth

Must be observed and evaluated throughout the

procedure.

Monitoring the Anesthetized

Patient

Other parameters that can be monitored with special

equipment are blood pressure, electrocardiogram and blood
gases
Frequent measurement of body temperature is very important,
because general anesthetics can cause hypothermia
Anesthetized animals should be placed on a warm surface, both
during surgery and the post-operative recovery period, to
prevent hypothermia

Monitoring the Depth of

Anesthesia

Assess movement, stimulus perception and reflexes

(cornea, toe pinch, tail pinch or ear pinch)
Observe chest wall movement
Pulse, heart rate, direct or indirect blood pressure
(cuff or doppler)
Mucus membrane color at muzzle, feet, ears and
tongue
Temperature

When recovering an animal

The animal should be placed by itself in a recovery
cage. Not with other animals
Food and water bowls should be removed
Provide a heat source
The animal is never left unattended

Recovery chamber

Local Anesthetics
Most frequently given by injection or applied
topically
The injection numbs the area around the injection
site, the animal remains fully awake
Topical anesthetics may be liquids, sprays, gels,
ointments, or creams
Local anaesthetics block conduction in the following
order: small myelinated > non-myelinated > large
myelinated

 Most local anaesthetics are weak bases, that are only

slightly soluble in water
They are formulated as Hcl salts to enhance their
water solubility & stability
This acid-based salt readily ionizes in normal tissues
(having slightly alkaline pH) & the base once again
becomes free to diffuse across the nerve cell
membrane
Thats why local anesthetics are ineffective to
desensitize infected tissues and abscess (due to
presence of acidic pus)

Classification of local anesthetics

1. Ester local anesthetics
Procaine
Benzocaine
2. Amide local anesthetics
Lignocaine
Prilocaine
3. Ether or Ketone local anesthetics
Pramoxine
Dyclonine

The anaesthetised regions are

shown in the picture below
Analgesia lasts for approximately 2
hours
Following local disinfection, insert a
60/15 syringe sagitally (tilted
forwards) at a 45 angle

Insert the syringe up to the bone at the

base of the vertebral canal. Then withdraw
by 0.5 cm before injecting the solution.